Shakra's office in the Horde's Intelligence Division, several years ago.

Shakra was sitting at her desk, filing a report her progress establishing the progress of the Horde's burgeoning information network in Blackmoor when she heard the sound of her office door opening.

"Did you find the files I requested Tara?"

"She's still searching" the reply came not in the gruff, deep voice of the young desert elf that had been assigned to her office as part of her squads controlled introduction into service of the Horde. No the voice that answered was smooth, commanding & dripping with both sarcasm. Shakra stifled a sigh as she looked up into the faceless mask of her visitor.

"Shadow Weaver" she made sure her tone was respectful, if not exactly welcoming "to what does the Intelligence Division owe this unexpected visit?"

"I had a proposal for Force Captain Mantenna but as is becoming customary, he directed me towards you" the former Mystacor mage paused before asking in a voice full of condescension "remind me, who exactly is the leader of this Division?"

"Force Captain Mantenna leads the Intelligence Division. But as his deputy, it would be my pleasure to assist you if he is too busy at the moment." and get you the hell out of here Shakra kept that part to herself. "How may I help you?"

"Actually, deputy director it is I who am here to help you." The witch said as she began to inspect the sparsely decorated desk between them.

"We'd happily accept any help you have to offer us ma'am"

"I'm sure you would" Shadow Weaver replied, dryer than the Fright Zone in summer. "It occurred to me that you've left a rather sizeable blind spot in your observational capabilities."

What was she talking about? "Enlighten me"

"You've been so focused on protecting the Horde from external threats" she inclined her head so she was staring directly into Shakra's eyes. "You've failed to consider the possibility of a threat from within"

Something about the way she said that made Shakra grateful she was already sitting down. "If you have information on a threat to Lord Hordak..."

"Nothing so dramatic" the second in command interrupted "but an organization like the Horde has a tendency to attract a certain kind of person"

"And what kind of person would that be?"

"Opportunistic, ambitious, ruthless call them what you will but they are the kind of people who join the Horde not because of all the rhetoric of the common man's uprising" she actually sounded like she wanted to laugh. "But because they will see it as a path to power." Those blank white eyes narrowed, as if already picturing some upstart challenging her for her position.

Shakra thought that over for a moment. As much as she may wish that every defector was acting out of sincere heartfelt belief, she had to acknowledge the truth that some people would do it for sheer personal gain -one such person stood across from her after all- and that type of attitude could prove detrimental if left unattended.

With a deep inhale through the nose, Shakra asked "What did you have in mind?"

She could hear the smile on the witches face as she replied "I was hoping you'd ask"

Tara returned with the files that had been requested just as Shadow Weaver was leaving. Like all desert elves, Tara was large & well muscled, easily towering over Shadow Weaver let alone Shakra, but she was still visably nervous as she hurriedly stood to the side to let the former mage out before entering with the files.

"Everything alright ma'am?" her features, usually so stern & intimidating despite her lilac colored skin, were a mask of concern, reflected in her greenish yellow eyes. Due to her large frame, it was easy to forget that Tara was still a child, too young to fight on the front lines, though that time was drawing to a close. Her Squad would be deployed in mere months, either to GaleBreath or perhaps Silverglade. Not wanting to worry the young cadet, Shakra flashed what she hoped was a reassuring smile.

"Everything is fine Tara. Our second in command merely had something she wished Intelligence to look into. Nothing to concern yourself over. Now are those the files i requested?"

The desert elf cadet seemed to snap out of some deep thought at her question. "Oh, yes ma'am" she said placing the files on the desk in front of Shakra, even turning some of them around do she could read the labels clearly.

"Thank you cadet. You may return to your previous duties". The young woman hesitated for just a moment before offering a salute then departing to rejoin her squadmates, leaving Shakra alone to contemplate her superiors "suggestion."

Lord Adora's office, present day.

Shakra stared at the encrypted message on Lonnie's trackerpad with a mixture of shock at seeing it again, unease at what it represented, & slight embarrassment that she had forgotten it until now.

"Lonnie brought this to my attention earlier today" the Dragon began in a civil tone "it seems to require a code to access & we thought that you might have an idea of what to do."

Shakra looked at the two young women who had summoned her. Lord Adora's wore an expression of patient curiosity, while Lonnie's was a mixture of expectation, irritation & a hint of the mistrust she demonstrated during their "discussion" in Shakra's office. Deciding that the message may help her clarify matters, she entered the most recent code she remembered & when she saw the video begin to load, motioned for the two to gather around her. Just as they assumed their positions the video began revealing a male Magicat whose face was covered with red-orange fur with black tiger stripes & white fur under the chin as well as a pair of amber eyes with the thin black irises common in the Magicat race. His uniform was well worn & battered marking him an experienced soldier.

"Shakra, it's Bengali. Listen, I understand you may not want to hear from me but I didn't know who else to call" he paused to check his surroundings. "When Vultak declared we were heading south I knew I was supposed to alert you right there & then. But the Horde was collapsing & the girl who claimed to be in charge was doing nothing and... and Vultak said he had a plan to at least save some small part of what Hordak had built. And he did. We got here & it was stable, we established a routine & that was enough...for a time"

Another pause, he closed his eyes & took a deep breath as if trying to convince himself he could get through this.

"But after a while we started hearing stories. About this self styled "dragon" getting off her ass & now you're kicking Rebel ass left, right & center. About how you finally emerged from the Intelligence Division only to start going from one Crownless nation to the next, making deals for tech & trade & actual food so you don't have to eat these fucking ration bars. And now we've got people grumbling that they abandoned ship just as things were turning around & some are starting to...reconsider."

A brief rustling caused him to look off into the distance with a slightly panicked expression, it died down only a moment later however & after collecting himself he continued.

"Look we all know how Hordak & Shadow Weaver treated deserters, and i'm not risking a trip to Beast Island so some kid can look tough. I've worked for you for years, i'm taking a big chance reaching out to you, i want you to tell me if it'd even be safe to approach this Dragon you've all rallied around. If we try to come back, will she welcome us home or try to make an example of us? I'm trusting you to not set us up. I've got to go, please contact me."

With an almost pleading look, Bengali ended the recording. At its end Shakra handed the trackerpad back to Lonnie who accepted it without a word. Lord Adora was the first to leave their little huddle, walking back to her desk, leaning over it clearly contemplating what they'd just heard. Lonnie went to approach her but a raised hand stopped her halfway. Shakra just stood there, waiting for the inevitable question.

After a few minutes of silence it came "Shakra?" the dragon called in an even tone.

"Yes, my lord"

"We've established we can be honest with each other, haven't we?" that earned a questioning look from Lonnie which Shakra couldn't afford to focus on right now.

"I would never be dishonest with you my lord" not intentionally anyway.

"Then tell me honestly" Lord Adora turned around to look at Shakra, her bluebell eyes had a sharpness in them the older woman had never seen before "Why this man is calling you specifically & what he meant when he said he works for you" her tone was calm yet commanding, with a very clear undertone which encouraged Shakra to abandon any notions of deceit.

Shakra decided to just get it over with."Bengali is part of a network of informants whose mission was to report on the various Force Captains to ensure that none were plotting against the leadership of the Horde"

"I haven't come across anything like that in your files" Lonnie's eyes narrowed accusingly.

"And you never will" Shakra replied in a remorseful tone "I was commanded to leave no official trace of this program"

Adora & Lonnie shared a look between them. "Commanded by Hordak?" the Horde Lord asked in a tone that made clear she already had a feeling as to what the answer would be.

Shakra took a deep breath before answering "By Shadow Weaver"

A sudden tention filled the air & a mixture of dread & anger flashed across the faces of the two younger women. And yet there was a sense, from Lord Adora In particular, that this was expected.

"I see" the dragon said in a tone Shakra couldn't decipher. "And what exactly was the objective of this unofficial program" she didn't sound angry, Shakra almost wished she did if only because then she'd have a clear idea of what her Lord was thinking.

"Shadow Weaver was concerned that Force Captain, or indeed a group of them, might have ambitions beyond their station" she was doing the best she could to keep her voice steady "she had Intelligence place a mole in the staff of each Force Captain to ensure.... loyalty in the ranks was how she phrased it"

"By which you mean" Shakra couldn't meet Lonnie's eyes as she spoke "to ensure that no one challenged her for her spot as second in command. Isn't that right?"

"She never put it as bluntly as that but I surmised that was the intention, yes."

"Why didn't you mention this before?" Lord Adora sounded more confused than hurt. "How am I just hearing of this?"

"Over the years, when I would report to Shadow Weaver about a Force Captain who was growing especially ambitious or critical of her policies. These individuals would soon suffer...." She felt something rise in the back of her throat, she forced it back down. "Sometimes it would be a freak accident, a piece of debris falling on them or their tank experiencing a fatal malfunction. Other times they would fall victim to a Rebel ambush soon after or even fall victim to friendly fire during battle. At first I was able to convince myself it was merely coincidence but as the years went by & it just kept happening"

Any sense of anger or suspicion between the two younger women disappeared, replaced with looks of horror at a dawning realization. Shakra could feel her eyes start to dampen as she continued & she looked down at the floor in shame.

"When I finally accepted what was happening... what I was accomplice to..." Names & faces flashed through her mind. Mosquitor, Dragstor, Dylamug, Rattlor all names of Hordesmen who she had handed up to that traitorous witch. "Over time I taught myself not to think about it."

She hated how quietly she said that last line, how weak an excuse was, but more than anything she hated how long she'd allowed herself to be cowed by that vile woman. Shakra silently waited for the response, the condemnation, the accusations, something. But nothing came. Instead Shakra was pulled from her inner guilt trip by the sound of a... crackling fire?

She raised her head to see Lord Adora's hands being increasingly covered in a bright burning flame....& her face twisting into an expression of absolute fury. Terror gripped Shakra as an image of her being burned alive flashed before her eyes. But as soon as it came, it vanished as the dragon spoke in a voice dripping with poison.

"Of course" the flame covered blonde spat through her teeth "of course she was having you spy on the Force Captains, of course she was sabotaging people who dared to even consider that they could do a better job then her. That's just typical Shadow Weaver!"

Her voice -and the flames- were rising & Shakra thought it was a matter of time before they spread throughout the room. Thankfully Lonnie had the presence of mind to act before that came to pass.

"Adora!" She called out in a voice that only somewhat betrayed the fear the young spy master was showing on her face "you gotta calm the fuck down before you set the room on fire!"

That thankfully got through & with a concentrated effort, the dragon dispelled the fire & Shakra was amazed to see no fresh burn marks where they had been. Their Lord brought her hands to her temples & took several deep breaths. Eventually she seemed to calm herself though Shakra & Lonnie both held their breath just in case.

"I'm sorry" the young blonde said as her hands slid down her face. "I'm sorry it's just... she gets to me and"

"I know" Lonnie interrupted In a calm voice "I know. But... but it's alright, she's gone"

"Yeah, yeah she's gone" Lord Adora seemed to be speaking to herself. "It's alright"

The three of them stood in silence for a moment while their leader collected herself. When she did so, it was back to the subject at hand.

"Shakra, do you still have a way to contact these... agents?"

Shakra was so shaken by what she'd just witnessed, it took her a moment to register the question & she had to shake her head to bring forth a reply.

"Yes my Lord"

"Good. In that case before you depart for your next assignment, you will show Lonnie how to get in touch with these people. If nothing else, they'll be able to help Kyle in his efforts to halt future defections." Lord Adora was still clearly upset, but had issued the command in a firm enough voice that one could be forgiven for thinking there had been no episode at all.

"Of course my Lord. I'll do whatever I can to be of help"

"I know you will" Lord Adora replied with a genuine smile. She then turned to Lonnie who hadn't taken her eyes off her friend since the flames died down. "Thanks for bringing this up Lonnie but I need a moment alone with Shakra."

The spy masters face was awash in concern & she looked like she might argue. But instead she simply asked. "Are you sure Adora?"

The dragon turned & flashed her friend & squadmate a smile. Just as genuine as the one directed at Shakra but there was something different in it, something wrong. "I'm sure Lonnie"

Lonnie didn't look like she believed that, but ultimately Horde discipline won out & she left without an argument. A moment of silence followed in which the Lord of the Horde seemed to try & center herself. Eventually Shakra decided to break the silence.

"My Lord, I know you're angry & I'm...."

"I am angry" the dragon interjected a slight scowl on her face "I'm angry at Shadow Weaver, I'm angry at what she's done" her look softened "but I'm not angry with you. I know better than..." A pained expression crossed the blonde's scarred features "almost anyone what Shadow Weaver is capable of" a weighted sigh escaped her lips "so I'm not going to blame you for doing what you felt you had to. But I do have one question."

"Yes, my Lord?" Shakra braced herself.

Staring her directly in the eye, the dragon asked her "did she have you spying on me?"

"No My Lord" Shakra answered with a voice full of relief "The way it worked was she would inform me when a new Force Captain was promoted then I would begin assessing the unit they were assigned for a potential informant. But she never informed me about you. I'm a little embarrassed to say that I didn't hear about you until the battle of Bright Moon"

Lord Adora examined her for what felt like ages until announcing with a grin. "Ok then. Now for the original reason I called you here, your next assignment"

Shakra adopted a smile of her own, glad to move on to something productive.

"Gladly my Lord, I've already selected what I believe to be the most logical..." A raised hand cut her suggestion short.

"I know I've been letting you decide how to proceed so far, but there's a matter I think it's time we address." The dragon had adopted a tone of utter seriousness.

"And what matter would that be?"

"The matter of the Crimson Waste" her Lord informed her "Salineas is making serious headway in their attempt to win the Waste's leadership into joining them. Lonnie informs me that Huntara, who it might amuse you to learn is styling herself a Princess now, has personally contacted Princess Mermista about using her power to locate fresh water buried under the desert." A mischievous grin made its way onto the younger woman's face. "Thankfully finding water in the desert is something we in the Fright Zone have plenty of experience in"

That they certainly did. For centuries, the people of the Fright Zone had developed several methods of finding fresh water in the unforgiving desert. As he did in all areas of science, Lord Hordak had revolutionized the process by creating a series of...

Wait.

"You want to offer them drills." Shakra said as the realization struck her.

"Correct!" Came the excited reply. "We have experts with the skills to find them the water they seek & the tech to help them get it out of the ground. We just need our esteemed diplomat to broker the deal"

"My Lord, they'll never agree to join us. One of their leaders is a known deserter."

"Oh, I'm familiar with their leadership." Her leader replied with a grin as if she were remembering something particularly pleasurable. "And I agree that they'll never agree to join us but we don't need them to. We just need to keep their vast reserves of First Ones tech out of the control of the Princesses. So all you need to do is offer them help with their water problem & all we're going to ask in return is that the flow of tech to Octopus Cove. If Huntara & Tung Lashor are the kind of people I take them for, they won't pass up the chance to preserve the Waste's independence.... temporarily of course." The dragon finished with a knowing smirk.

"It's a sensible plan my Lord." Shakra began carefully. "But how would I even get there? I'm sure you recall that the Waste is directly east of Salineas. Now I was fortunate enough to avoid them on the trip to the Cove & Seaworthy but I don't see a Horde ship making all the way through their territory unharmed."

"I've already taken care of that." Her Lord informed her. "I reached out to both cities & Prince Peekablue was happy to help."

"He was?"

"He was. It seems he's been in a giving mood since Sweet Bee" the knowing grin on the dragon's face grew wider as she said the name of the Prince's lover. "decided to retire from the Rebellion & move to Seaworthy."

Shakra couldn't believe her luck. She had simply told the Andreenid leader to go to Seaworthy because she'd inform him that Shakra had kept her end of their agreement. That the Hiveling had retired from the Rebellion wasn't a total surprise but that the Prince was willing go beyond his role in getting the trade agreement ratified was something she hadn't predicted. Not that she was complaining obviously.

"And what exactly is he offering? I don't recall him having any shipping interests."

"He doesn't." The dragon confirmed. "But what he does have is a few captains who owe him a favor. So here's the plan. The Seaworthy merchants *wink* will dock to drop off their first shipment of food at which point you, the drills & accompanying experts will be loaded on. They will smuggle you through Salinean waters to the Waste, then when you've struck the deal, you will ride back with them as the carry the First Ones tech they've bought back home."

Shakra thought the plan over in her mind. It seemed sound enough, though there was certainly room for failure. "It seems you've gotten everything figured out my Lord. When do I set sail?"

"In a few days. More than enough time for you to help Lonnie find this agents " The blonde informed her.

"Very well then. If there's nothing else..."

"Actually there is one more thing." The dragon hurriedly exclaimed as if remembering something important. She walked around her desk, retrieved something from a drawer than began to approach Shakra.

"I probably should have done this when I officially made you the head of your own division." The younger woman stopped in front of Shakra & began fixing something to jacket. "But I figured this was as good a time as any."

She pulled her hands back revealing a small light green six sided badge with the symbol of the dragon's Horde emblazoned in the center in a darker green.

"Congratulations, Force Captain Shakra Blackstar."